ARCHIVE001: Sam Prekop – Sam Prekop

“One feature I was keen to include as part of the Irregular Crates operation was posts on all-time classic records – a sort of ‘archive’ if you like. Back in my DJ days, I remember going into record shops and scouring for old gems – the owners used to encourage me to get all the latest 12″s; ‘what everybody else was playing’ as if as a young DJ I’d want to imitate their taste just to get gigs. Well, I never did – I happily listened to a huge pile of whatever was left over and believe it or not, some of those records are still listened to even now.

It was almost as if once a honeymoon period had passed, the music had become old news and not important anymore. It is similar with some (not all) blogs – only sharing the very latest music. Whilst I wholeheartedly support this, I want Irregular Crates to also include regular posts on ‘classic’ albums and build an archive of them. So, on this page you can browse a gradually building list of all-time favourites across a range of genres. Some you may recognise and others, you may never have crossed paths with. There is even more to be discovered from the past than there is today!” Harry-Irregular Crates

First up in the Irregular Crates vault of classic ‘not to be missed’ albums, is the wonderful eponymous debut album by Sam Prekop, released on Thrill Jockey way back in 1999. This bright and breezy record from the man who fronts The Sea and Cake is absolutely perfect for long summers with its warm guitars, light vocals and gentle Brazilian percussion.

The majority of the ten tracks are positive in mood, particularly during the opening third. A tinge of melancholy comes in during ‘A Cloud To The Back’ but the sheer beauty of it cancels out the sadness. ‘Don’t Bother’ continues with the melancholy theme before ‘Faces and People’ brings things towards a loopy, more upbeat affair. Warmth returns in ‘The Shadow’, with the languid feel of a long summer returning in ‘Smaller Rivers’ and then Sam Prekop draws to a close with ‘So Shy’ for a truly brilliant ending. Throughout the record, Sam is joined by other musicians such as Jim O’Rourke (Backing vocals, organ, guitar, bass), Josh Abrams – Town and Country (bass, piano) and his The Sea And Cake band mate Archer Prewitt (guitar, piano) to name but a few.

The sheer wealth of musical influences and ambitious set of ideas and techniques would win a place in our archive alone. The resulting warmth and soul of the record only cement its place here. As with all our archived albums, highly recommended!